Bacon



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WASHINGTON BACON, OF LONDON, GREAT 'BRITAIN.

`IMPROVEMENT IN CONSTRUCTING BLOCKS 0R PLATES FOR PRINTINGIMAPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,056, dated August 7, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WASHINGTON BACON, of Paternoster Row,in the city of London, Kingdom of Great Britain, have invented a new and Improved Method of Constructing Plates or Blocks for Printing Maps and other Illustrations 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying sheet. of drawings, and the iigures and letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 represents the face of a plate or block. Fig. 2 is a section of the same.

Like letters refer to corresponding parts in each of the figures.

My invention consists in a peculiar method of constructing the plates or blocks employed for printing maps, plans, and other similar delineations, whereby the let-tering (which has hitherto been a very difficult and expensive item in the preparation of relief plates or blocks) can be produced in a simple, cheap, and expeditious manner.

In carrying myinvention into practice, l take a thin block or sheet of box-wood, A, hav! ing a uniform thickness of about one-eighth of an inch throughout its entire substance. This block or sheet is mounted upon another block, B, of mahogany or other suitably-hard material, the contiguous surfaces of the two blocks A and B heilig accurately and smoothly planed and well fitted together.

The coast-lines, rivers, and other line-work of the ina-p or plan are engraved in the ordinary manner upon the surface ofthe block or sheet A. The intervening blank portions of the said block or sheet are then cut away down to the surface of the other block, B. A`s the surface of this block has been previously made perfectly level by planing or other like means, the portions of the said surface left exposed by cutting away the parts of the block A will present an even surface, parallel throughout with the upper or engraved surface ot the block A.

The letters forming the names and other indications are placed upon the exposed surface of the block B and are fixed in the required positions thereon with glue or other suitable sitions.

cement. These names are first set up in type in the usual manner, and electrotyped copies are taken therefrom. Any required number of the said names can he set up together and electrotyped in one operation. They are afterward properly separated from each other for insertion into the required positions on the engraved block. The upper and lower surfaces of these electrotypes must be made accurately parallel with each other and of the same thickness as the block or sheet A, so that the surface of the letters shall correspond exactly with the engraved surface of the said block and the engraved lines and the lettering shall form one level surface.

The block, after being' lettered, may be prin ted from direct, or an electrotype copy may be taken of the whole surface, thus forming a homogeneous block or plate, which is a duplicate ofthe engraved block, with the names and other letters and gures in the correct po- When the latter method is employed the electrotyped plate is mounted upon wood in the manner as before described, and is then ready for use.

Instead of box-wood the block or sheet A.

may be made of soft metalmounted upon the block B in any convenient manner.

The surface of the metal block may be engraved and the spaces cut away for the insertion of the letters, as above described.

The block A may be formed of one piece or any number of pieces properly put together and evenly mounted upon the block B, car'e being taken in all cases to insure the upper or engraved surface of the block or plate A being properly leveled "to correspond with the 4 height of the electrotyped names used for lettering the said block.

What :I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the block or sheet A, having an engraved surface, with the electrotype-letters mounted upon the block B in the manner substantially as described.

GEORGE WASHINGTON BACON.

Witnesses:

THOMAS HANNIs, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. 

